The Australian government announced this past weekend that Virgin Australia airlines would be offering priority boarding — and in-flight acknowledgements of military service — to the nation’s veterans as part of a continued national effort to recognize those who served. But in a twist unfamiliar to their benefit-enjoying Yank brethren, Australians have collectively told the airline to, as renowned wordsmith Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would say, take the offer, shine it up real nice, turn that sum’bitch sideways and stick it straight up Virgin’s candy ass.

“It’s a very American thing to do," Mike Carlton, author and Australian military historian, told the New York Times. "We’re not quite as loud or noisy as that. Australians are a little more subtle.”

But Mike, you’re thinking to yourself, how in heaven’s name will any Australian vets be smothered with enough face-melting thank-you-for-your-service gratitude if they don’t blatantly advertise their past by wearing nothing but military-themed graphic shirts, growing operator beards or driving oversized — or overcompensating, depending on perspective — trucks?

“It’s just not in our nature to do stuff like that," Carlton told the Times. “Almost any veteran I can think of would be hideously embarrassed by being singled out like that. I’ve interviewed a lot of them for my books. ... They would hate the notoriety of being singled out.”

Funny how they say that it's 'too American'...perhaps they see through all the flag-waving better than we do.

....But Australian vets are indicating that the trail being blazed is one leading to a factory of sadness, not joy....

1) When veterans or veteran dependents demand discounts, etc. It's fine to ask if they have some any...but don't throw a hissy fit if they don't, or the discount is only for the active duty, or only if the servicemember is there personally, etc...just appreciate it when it is offered, but don't expect it.

Like I've seen a woman trying to rally up a boycott of a restaurant because they didn't give her, the spouse, a discount while her husband was deployed. Their policy was they only discount the active duty servicemembers, not retired, separated or dependents. I would have her just say, 'Thank you for doing that' and pay the full price.

2) When the person's coincidental status as a veteran is used to stir outrage....i.e. Headline: Veteran denied a room at Super 8. or other such nonsense. Okay, so a guy got denied because he's 42 and doesn't have a credit card to put down...he was a veteran for a 3 year tour in 82-85...he wasn't denied because he was a veteran, and just cuz he was doesn't mean he gets to bypass all other policies...gimme a break.

3) When people say 'No veteran should ever be homeless.' Really? So, everyone that's every done a single enlistment should be given a place to live for life? Sorry. Now, if the guy is disabled from military service and is entitled to benefits, that's great. But, not every veteran who ever served is entitled to not be homeless if that's what their life has come to...not any moreso than any other person. Would be great if we didn't have any homeless, sure.

1) When veterans or veteran dependents demand discounts, etc. It's fine to ask if they have some any...but don't throw a hissy fit if they don't, or the discount is only for the active duty, or only if the servicemember is there personally, etc...just appreciate it when it is offered, but don't expect it.

Like I've seen a woman trying to rally up a boycott of a restaurant because they didn't give her, the spouse, a discount while her husband was deployed. Their policy was they only discount the active duty servicemembers, not retired, separated or dependents. I would have her just say, 'Thank you for doing that' and pay the full price.

I'll take a veteran's discount when it openly offered.

The worst people are the one's who never served in the military but they'll use their spouse's service or a relative's service to push their agenda. I've seen women who will stand up during a public forum and tell how their father served in the military and he would be ashamed of what others are advocating. First off, the woman never served so don't bring in your father's service because it has nothing to do with the issue at hand. Second, her father's service is his service and what he did isn't something that is inherited or transferred to his offspring. Third, don't use your father's service to wrap yourself up in the flag and implying anyone who opposed you is unpatriotic. Fourth, just shut up about your father's service and tell us what your opinion is because no one is interested in what your father did or didn't do.

2) When the person's coincidental status as a veteran is used to stir outrage....i.e. Headline: Veteran denied a room at Super 8. or other such nonsense. Okay, so a guy got denied because he's 42 and doesn't have a credit card to put down...he was a veteran for a 3 year tour in 82-85...he wasn't denied because he was a veteran, and just cuz he was doesn't mean he gets to bypass all other policies...gimme a break.

I've never understood why a person's veteran status has to do with a news story. For example, "Navy veteran mugged in the downtown area." Instead, it should be "Man mugged in downtown area."

3) When people say 'No veteran should ever be homeless.' Really? So, everyone that's every done a single enlistment should be given a place to live for life? Sorry. Now, if the guy is disabled from military service and is entitled to benefits, that's great. But, not every veteran who ever served is entitled to not be homeless if that's what their life has come to...not any moreso than any other person. Would be great if we didn't have any homeless, sure.

Whether a person is homeless has less to do with their veteran status than with the cause(s) of why they are homeless. If a person really cares about why someone is homeless then identify and deal with the causes.

Funny how they say that it's 'too American'...perhaps they see through all the flag-waving better than we do.

Well, i've lived in the UK, and there they are no where near as "Flag waving" towards their veterans as we are.. So maybe it IS a "American thing"..

Originally Posted by Bos Mutus

Everybody loves the vets....

Things that bug me about 'Honor the Vets' type PR stunts...

1) When veterans or veteran dependents demand discounts, etc. It's fine to ask if they have some any...but don't throw a hissy fit if they don't, or the discount is only for the active duty, or only if the servicemember is there personally, etc...just appreciate it when it is offered, but don't expect it.

Agreed. I've seen some of my fellow vets, get not just irked, but down right peeved at a store because they don't offer a discount for military.

Originally Posted by Bos Mutus

Like I've seen a woman trying to rally up a boycott of a restaurant because they didn't give her, the spouse, a discount while her husband was deployed. Their policy was they only discount the active duty servicemembers, not retired, separated or dependents. I would have her just say, 'Thank you for doing that' and pay the full price.

I've heard of similar. Such as one local shopping center, that has 4 parking spots, right next to the handicapped that is specifically for "Disabled veterans, OR veterans". Two folk tried parking there, who were just SPOUSES, then raised hell that they got told to MOVE or get ticketed...

Originally Posted by Bos Mutus

2) When the person's coincidental status as a veteran is used to stir outrage....i.e. Headline: Veteran denied a room at Super 8. or other such nonsense. Okay, so a guy got denied because he's 42 and doesn't have a credit card to put down...he was a veteran for a 3 year tour in 82-85...he wasn't denied because he was a veteran, and just cuz he was doesn't mean he gets to bypass all other policies...gimme a break.

Agreed. I've seen some news stories where it seems they just TRY To raise outrage "because it happened to a vet".. Even though the person's vet status, was IMMATERIAL to what happened.

Originally Posted by Bos Mutus

3) When people say 'No veteran should ever be homeless.' Really? So, everyone that's every done a single enlistment should be given a place to live for life? Sorry. Now, if the guy is disabled from military service and is entitled to benefits, that's great. But, not every veteran who ever served is entitled to not be homeless if that's what their life has come to...not any moreso than any other person. Would be great if we didn't have any homeless, sure.

Hell, why should ANYONE be homeless, veteran or otherwise?

Originally Posted by LogDog

I'll take a veteran's discount when it openly offered.

The worst people are the one's who never served in the military but they'll use their spouse's service or a relative's service to push their agenda. I've seen women who will stand up during a public forum and tell how their father served in the military and he would be ashamed of what others are advocating. First off, the woman never served so don't bring in your father's service because it has nothing to do with the issue at hand. Second, her father's service is his service and what he did isn't something that is inherited or transferred to his offspring. Third, don't use your father's service to wrap yourself up in the flag and implying anyone who opposed you is unpatriotic. Fourth, just shut up about your father's service and tell us what your opinion is because no one is interested in what your father did or didn't do.

A Double HELLZZ yes there.. I can't stand folk who do that. And to me the worst ones are those spouses who HATE That their husband/wife SERVE, and are always bitching about it. Or as one did, tried to pull the "Choose ME or the service, because if you re-enlist, i am leaving" stunt.
Then after they've left, they try to use "BUT I AM A PROUD SPOUSE, why can't i get any benefit"!!?!

A Double HELLZZ yes there.. I can't stand folk who do that. And to me the worst ones are those spouses who HATE That their husband/wife SERVE, and are always bitching about it. Or as one did, tried to pull the "Choose ME or the service, because if you re-enlist, i am leaving" stunt.
Then after they've left, they try to use "BUT I AM A PROUD SPOUSE, why can't i get any benefit"!!?!

I think a spouse has every right to say "choose me or your job" whether or not that job ia the military. Granted, the service member has every right to pick one or the other. I think a lot of that comes down to who you marry, why you get married and the strength of the relationship. Granted, even the strongest people can only put up with so much before they have had enough.

Also, in 27 years of service, I have yet to run into the rampant herds of entitled spouses people keep referencing; maybe I am just lucky.

The most important six inches on the battlefield ... is between your ears.

Also, in 27 years of service, I have yet to run into the rampant herds of entitled spouses people keep referencing; maybe I am just lucky.

Rampant herds, no....but, I have seen them posting on social media how Fanucci's Restaurant was disrespecting of military spouses because they only offered the discount when then military member was there. #banfanucci's

I haven't really seen the blatant 'pulling of rank' by spouses, but I've seen more subtle 'casually but intentionally making rank known' by spouses, for sure.

Rampant herds, no....but, I have seen them posting on social media how Fanucci's Restaurant was disrespecting of military spouses because they only offered the discount when then military member was there. #banfanucci's

I haven't really seen the blatant 'pulling of rank' by spouses, but I've seen more subtle 'casually but intentionally making rank known' by spouses, for sure.

There are always bad apples (usually isolated), I try not to let it spoil the bunch.

The most important six inches on the battlefield ... is between your ears.

so much for.....To love, honor and obey, so long as you both shall live, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.... Any woman that would bail on a man serving a noble cause (freedom) for some selfish reason like "happiness" is a threat to National security and not worthy of title of "a Military Wife".

so much for.....To love, honor and obey, so long as you both shall live, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.... Any woman that would bail on a man serving a noble cause (freedom) for some selfish reason like "happiness" is a threat to National security and not worthy of title of "a Military Wife".

I think a spouse has every right to say "choose me or your job" whether or not that job ia the military.

I wasn't trying to say a spouse can't or shouldn't do that. BUT IMO if they DO, then they shouldn't then turn around and try to claim "I am a proud military spouse, RESPEC ME!"

Originally Posted by Bos Mutus

I haven't really seen the blatant 'pulling of rank' by spouses, but I've seen more subtle 'casually but intentionally making rank known' by spouses, for sure.

The most egregious ones i remember seeing, was when (working with base security) we pulled a spouse over for something, and she/he pulls the "DO YOU KNOW WHO MY XYZ IS!" trying to use their spouse's rank to get out of the ticket.

I wasn't trying to say a spouse can't or shouldn't do that. BUT IMO if they DO, then they shouldn't then turn around and try to claim "I am a proud military spouse, RESPEC ME!"

IMO, they can still be proud of the service of their spouse, and the support they provided that spouse ... and still have had enough and want them / the family to be the priority and draw a line in the sand.

I have seen service members seemingly screwed over by what I thought was an unreasonable spouse. I have seen more spouses screwed over by a combination of unreasonable service member and a system / (lack of) leadership really understanding the stresses we are putting families under with increased OPTEMPOs, growing expectations of their 'off duty' time, setting work hours that negate any possibility of the service member helping with child care etc.

The most important six inches on the battlefield ... is between your ears.